Bedroom tax campaigner takes protest to Westminster

Pembrokeshire bedroom tax campaigner takes protest to Westminster

 Campaign: Paul Rutherford outside the Houses of Parliament.

BEDROOM tax campaigner Paul Rutherford has taken his case from Pembrokeshire to Westminster.

The 56-year-old grandfather and his wife Sue provide round-the-clock care for their profoundly-disabled grandson, Warren, aged 13.

Their case, first highlighted in the Western Telegraph, has now been put forward by the Child Poverty Action Group as the very first judicial review challenge of the discretionary housing payment – known as the bedroom tax – on behalf of children who need overnight care.

Although the Rutherfords, who live in Clynderwen, have been successful in an appeal to Pembrokeshire County Council over the ‘spare’ bedroom in their housing association bungalow, Mr Rutherford has vowed to keep on campaigning against what he says is the injustice of the levy.

The family’s story was told in the Daily Mirror recently, and the paper paid his train fare to London last week for him to join other carers and disabled people who were invited by the Shadow Work and Pensions secretary, Rachel Reeves, to witness a House of Commons debate on the bedroom tax.

A letter that Mr Rutherford had written telling of his family’s plight was sent to every MP in the UK

It was a debate that brought him close to tears; a debate which he later described as ‘shameless’ for its disrespect from Coalition MPs.

“Everything that the Opposition members said was ignored or simply shouted down,” he said.

Labour’s spokesperson for disability, Kate Green, who referred to the Rutherfords’ case in her closing speech, is now seeking the assistance of Mr Rutherford to develop with future campaigns and policy relating to kinship carers.

“I have been asked to give my advice and opinions direct to shadow ministers,” he said. “It is quite an honour,and I never expected this at all. However, I’m very happy about that for all disabled people and their carers, who I’ll be able to really help now.”

http://www.westerntelegraph.co.uk/news/county/10818143.